IV. Regeneration Curriculum Resources A. Biographies with Activities
Educator and reformer Booker T. Washington (1856–1915) was one of the most influential Black leaders of his time. Born into slavery, he taught himself the basics of reading and writing after his mother gifted him a book at the age of nine. In the early 1880s, he established the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (now Tuskegee University) and built it into a thriving training ground for African Americans. Washington’s book Up from Slavery , which charts his life from enslavement to educator, is considered a foundational document on race relations of the era. Washington advocated for African Americans to accept social segregation in the short term, encouraging Black people to focus instead on uplift through hard work and economic growth, a position famously opposed to the more radical approach of W. E. B. Du Bois. While both men laid a pathway to the civil rights movement, they had very different ideas about how freedom could be achieved. Sojourner Truth (ca. 1797–1883) , born Isabella Baumfree, escaped enslavement in 1826. Orator, abolitionist, and staunch advocate of women’s rights, she traveled the country giving speeches. Truth attracted large crowds and, like Frederick Douglass, understood the power of the image. Although illiterate, she published an autobiography with the assistance of abolitionists and sold the book—along with her photograph— to support the antislavery movement. The photo is captioned: “I sell the shadow to support the substance.” In the mid-1850s, Truth introduced the topic of women’s rights into her lecture tour, delivering the “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech in Akron, Ohio, that became famous for its challenge to belief systems supporting racial and gender inequalities. While she and Douglass shared much common ground, they ultimately clashed over the timing of women’s suffrage. Douglass argued that Black men should gain freedoms before Black women, while Truth endorsed their simultaneous liberation. James Baldwin (1924–1987) was a writer and cultural critic who spent much of his adult life outside of America, but his work explored social issues impacting the United States and challenged prevailing STEREOTYPES related to race, class, gender, and sexuality. In addition to essays, novels, and plays, Baldwin produced film
Louise Beavers (1902–1962) stars in Reform School (1939) as Mother Barton, a probation officer who institutes drastic, progressive changes in a juvenile prison that have a positive impact on the young men in her care. Her leading role in a social drama that criticizes the prison-industrial complex was a departure from the minor servant characters Hollywood typically offered Beavers. The career of composer, pianist, and big-band leader Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899–1974) spanned from his teens in 1914 to his death sixty years later. His worldwide legacy is unparalleled. He composed hundreds of scores and also made significant contributions to films. The “elegant Ellington” charmed audiences around the globe with his unique melodies, subtle sonic moods, and swinging rhythms. Trinidad-born pianist, singer, and actor Hazel Scott (1920–1981) impressed audiences with her jazzy renditions of classical pieces and became the darling of Café Society, an integrated nightclub in New York’s Greenwich Village. In Hollywood in the 1940s, she rejected singing-maid roles and insisted on playing herself. In 1950, Scott became the first Black woman to host a TV program, although allegations of communist ties by the House Un-American Activities Committee shut down the show within a year. Cab Calloway (1907–1994) was a singer, actor, and big-band leader known for his dynamic style. His swinging music, trademark white tuxedo, oversized baton, and exuberant moves created an unforgettable image. He performed regularly at the Cotton Club in Harlem and played himself in movies such as Stormy Weather (1943) and Hi De Ho (1947). In his late-career appearance in The Blues Brothers (1980), he sings his signature hit “ Minnie the Moocher .”
criticism. The Devil Finds Work is a book-length essay chronicling his experience watching movies while at the same time offering a critique on racial politics in American cinema. He wrote a SCREENPLAY based on Malcolm X’s autobiography that was adapted into a 1972 DOCUMENTARY FILM by Arnold Perl and a 1992 biopic by Spike Lee. It also served as inspiration for Raoul Peck’s documentary on Baldwin, I Am Not Your Negro (2016).
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1. Black Historical Figures
2. Black Filmmakers
ABOLITIONIST Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) founded and edited The North Star , one of the most influential antislavery publications of the pre–Civil War period. He was also the most photographed man of his era. At a time when African Americans were not considered full citizens, Douglass used photography and his newspaper to demonstrate their humanity. Born into slavery and gaining freedom as a young man, he dedicated his life to the cause of freedom and equality. A revered orator, social reformer, writer, and statesman, Douglass was a living example defying the belief that enslaved people in America lacked intellectual capacity. W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963) dedicated his life to the fight for equal rights for African Americans. The educator, activist, and writer cofounded the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE (NAACP) in 1909 and edited its house publication, The Crisis magazine, which addressed topics like racial prejudice, women’s rights, and voting rights. Its arts and letters section occasionally referenced motion pictures by BLACK filmmakers. Du Bois challenged the notion that equal and fair treatment is contingent upon merit or excellence as defined by white people. As a social scientist, he documented the dynamic and varied lives of Black people through photographs. In 1900, he organized the immensely influential exhibition on the American Negro at the Paris Exposition that featured 500+ images, charts, and maps, as well as a display of 200 books written by African Americans. Du Bois’s well- known theory of “double-consciousness” explores the difficulties of navigating the dual identities of Black and American, and his ideas inform the ideology of many Black social justice movements today.
Hattie McDaniel (1893–1952) performed in VAUDEVILLE with her siblings and recorded blues songs before arriving in Los Angeles in 1931. Like many Black actors in Hollywood, she was TYPECAST in servant roles, but she often infused her characters with sharp wit and personality. McDaniel made history as the first Black person to win a competitive Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939). At the awards ceremony held in the whites-only Cocoanut Grove, she and her guest were seated separately from the rest of the cast. To criticism that she perpetuated stereotypes, McDaniel famously retorted: “I’d rather play a maid than be one.” Oscar Micheaux (1884–1951) wrote, directed, produced, and distributed more than forty features from 1919 to 1948 and is probably the best-known maker of RACE FILMS. Often drawing from his own life story as well as news headlines—about interracial relationships, passing, lynching and other social injustices— Micheaux used his motion pictures as morality tales to instruct the African American community. His stories could be empowering and controversial. They featured a broad range of characters including some stereotypes circulating within the Black community. His approach was daring, complicated, and influential. Herb Jeffries (born Umberto Alexander Valentino, 1913–2014) , also known as the “Sepia Singing Cowboy,” was well recognized for his silky baritone voice. He performed in clubs in the United States and Europe from the 1930s to the 1950s. Although of mixed racial heritage, he is often called the first Black singing cowboy. He made his acting debut in Harlem on the Prairie (1937) and performed in westerns such as The Bronze Buckaroo and Harlem Rides the Range (both 1939).
The mesmerizing performances of dance team Fayard Nicholas (1914–2006) and Harold
Nicholas (1921–2000) remain unmatched. Growing up in Philadelphia in a show-business family, the duo began performing as children, with Fayard teaching himself and his siblings how to sing and dance. The Nicholas Brothers’ popularity in Philadelphia landed them a gig at the Cotton Club in Harlem in 1932. While there, they were spotted by movie producer Samuel Goldwyn, who
*Words set in ALL CAPS are defined in the Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts (section F of this guide).
*Words set in ALL CAPS are defined in the Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts (section F of this guide).
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